


hello, beautiful

by carrieevew



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Teacher Bellamy Blake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrieevew/pseuds/carrieevew
Summary: On the first day of a new school year, Clarke meets one of Madi's teachers. Well, "meets" is a strong word. Mostly, she just develops a massive crush on him--the guy whose name she doesn't even know. Yet.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 80
Kudos: 301
Collections: The t100 Writers for BLM Initiative





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Excuseyouclarke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Excuseyouclarke/gifts).



> written for Heather, as a part of [the T100 Writers For Black Lives Matter Initiative](https://t100fic-for-blm.tumblr.com/). visit us on tumblr to learn more about the project and maybe prompt us something!
> 
> enjoy!

The moment Clarke had stopped the car and pulled on the handbrake, Madi was already out of her seat belt and scrambling to open the door.

At six years old, she was already tall enough to use the booster seat that Clarke had bought when Madi first came to live with her at the beginning of summer and in those few short months, she already managed to figure out how to get out of it before Clarke had even had the chance to unfasten herself.

She hadn’t exactly expected her daughter to be this eager to go to school but maybe she should’ve. Madi hadn’t been to school since her parents died and she had started bouncing from one foster family to another—and that was in April. Then, by the time Clarke had met her at the Emergency Room of the hospital she worked at, the school year was already over and Madi was running away from her latest ill-fitted guardians by climbing up the trees—and falling.

The family had given up on her when they realised a broken arm meant hospital bills but before she could be thrown back into the system, Clarke had done the craziest thing in her life and offered to take her.

The first few weeks had been beyond difficult, considering she had an injured, grieving six-year-old to take care of and practically no experience with it but they survived. A new school year was a whole new challenge, though.

Clarke called out to Madi but the girl was already stumbling out of the car—

—and straight into the arms of a stranger.

Clarke jumped out of the car, ready to scream bloody murder but the man had already put Madi down and the girl was giggling like she was having the time of her life.

“Hi, Mr. B!” Madi said, squealing. Clarke relaxed a bit but still made her way around the car. She grabbed Madi’s hand and pulled her lightly into her side. Madi wrapped one of her arms around Clarke’s legs, still laughing as the man smiled down at her. He ruffled Madi’s hair and welcomed her back at school, assuring her that all friends missed her.

Clarke stood there frozen, uncertain what she should be thinking at the moment. On one hand, most of the pressure had left her body when she realised that the man holding her daughter just a few moments ago must be her teacher, someone Madi knew and felt comfortable around. She was worried how the girl would handle going back to school, so it was good news that she seemed happy enough about it.

But on the other hand, there was _that man_. Mr. B., as Madi had called him, was listening intently as she babbled about her new Clarke and chuckled when the story moved seamlessly from her new guardian to the unicorns Clarke had painted on the walls of her new bedroom.

Mr. B. looked up at her, amusement written all over his face and smiled at her so widely that small wrinkled appeared around his mouth and eyes. And Clarke had to blink. Once, twice. Three times, before she could shake herself off from her stupor.

It’s not like she hadn’t seen beautiful people before. Most of her friends were statistically improbably beautiful, actually. Hell, her ex-girlfriend from college was a genuine model, and Clarke herself probably wasn’t that bad-looking either. But damn, if that smile didn’t do something to her.

Admittedly, it had been a while for her. Even if she hadn’t spent the last few months taking care of a little girl, she still had a demanding job with crazy hours which left her with barely enough energy to hang out with the people she already knew—she was definitely too busy to try and meet someone new.

Mr. B. was still looking at her and belatedly, Clarke realised she probably should’ve introduced herself. She knew that the school was aware of Madi’s situation, so he must’ve already known who she was and Madi had said her name probably a dozen times by now but, as a voice inside her head that sounded a lot like her mother reminded her, it probably would’ve been more polite of her to say something. _Anything_ , really, instead of just standing there, staring at the man in front of her—his dark, kind eyes, curly, inky hair all over the place and oh, shit! Did he have freckles?!

Clarke swallowed, realising that she’d stayed quiet for long enough that he probably thought there was something wrong with her. Even Madi had stopped talking by then and the silence between the three of them was starting to get awkward. But before Clarke could actually speak, someone sounded their car horn and she jumped up, only just noticing that they were standing in the middle of one of the only few empty parking spots left, holding up a growing line of cars.

Madi grabbed her hand and started to pull her towards the school.

“Come on, Clarke!” the girl demanded. “I wanna show you my class!”

Clarke only barely remembered to lock the car behind her before she followed Madi inside. The last she saw of Mr. B. was when he waved back at Madi who yelled that she’d see him later. She also suspected that this was probably the last time she’d see her composure for a long time.

***

They did that every day. Clearly, Mr. B. arrived at the school around the same time that Clarke and Madi did, and each time, either Madi would jump out of the car before Clarke could say a word, or he’d come by to open the door for the girl and help her out.

He’d greed the two of them politely and listen patiently as Madi talked his ear off, telling him about everything from the homework she’d been assigned to the dinner she ate the night before. He’d smile indulgently and his shoulders would shake lightly from laughter whenever Clarke had to dig out Madi’s backpack and carry it behind her daughter. Then, he’d say goodbye to the both of them, promise Madi that they’d see each other after school and they’d part ways, so that he could go to his building and Madi too hers.

And every time that Clarke went back to her car afterwards, she’d drop her head onto the headrest and groan out-loud before driving away. Three months they’d been doing that now and even though Clarke still didn’t know his name, she was realising – with a healthy dose of embarrassment and frustration – that she managed to develop a crush on him. A man she didn’t know at all and only saw for five minutes twice a day.

But damn, if it wasn’t the easiest crush she’d ever developed. He was smart and funny, and painfully attractive. If that wasn’t enough—and it was because holy shit!, he was beautiful!, Mr. B. was also amazing with Madi and that was an incredible feat all in itself, considering how shy and uncertain the girl could be around strangers.

Every day, Clarke looked at herself in the rear-view mirror and had to remind herself that she was a 29-year-old woman with a good job and a fricking child, not a giggling teenager—because that’s exactly how Mr. B. made her feel. With just one smile, he turned her into mush and as much as Clarke wanted to actually _talk to him_ , she chickened out every time.

***

Clarke dropped her head down onto Harper’s kitchen island with a groan, her forehead landing on a stack of papers. Harper lifted her head gently, pulled out the papers and placed a clean dishtowel there instead, and put Clarke’s head back down without a word. Clarke smiled into the material. Both Madi and Jordan were around the same age but while Clarke was only barely keeping her head above water, Harper had years of experience raising a child—and a natural instinct for caretaking. It’s what made her such an amazing paediatric nurse.

A moment later, Clarke heard a clinking and when she raised her head, there was a wine glass in front of her. She sent her friend a grateful smile and took a big gulp. It wasn’t often that she allowed herself to drink but Madi was spending the night at Abby’s and she had the next two days off, so when Harper invited her for a night of wine and gossip, she didn’t hesitate. Especially since for the first time in a long time, she actually had gossip.

When Harper poured herself a glass and took the bottle, Clarke followed her into the living room where Emori and Gaia were throwing back tequila shots. Ah, to be self-employed and child-less.

Clarke dropped into her favourite wingback chair and sunk into the cushions with a deep sigh. Gaia looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. Clarke blew a raspberry.

“So, how is your crush?” Emori asked, subtlety be damned. Clarke scrunched up her nose.

“Still fricking perfect,” she answered, blowing a puff of air. She took another swig of her wine. “Yesterday, he was wearing one of those ridiculous novelty sweaters with a pumpkin on—for like, no reason. I mean, I get it, it’s October, we’re all celebrating autumn. But who dresses up like that?!”

Emori’s loud snort interrupted her rant but Clarke was unbothered. It was definitely called for. “And let me guess, you still have no idea what his name is, don’t you?” Emori asked with a smirk.

“No,” Clarke pouted, hiding behind her wine glass while her friend chuckled. But they were right. It’s been three months since she’d first ‘met’ Madi’s teacher in the parking lot and she still hadn’t fucking introduced herself. Then again, neither did he.

Only _he_ knew what her name was, he’d been calling her Ms. Griffin from the second day forward. And Clarke was still clueless. Madi was only so much help. Clarke was able to steer the conversation in his direction a few times, so she knew he was a history teacher for the high school next door but also volunteered in Madi’s primary school, looking after the kids whose parents couldn’t pick them up right after the final bell—which was how Madi had known him in the first place. Clarke also knew that he had a dog – because he once shown a picture of him to the kids, and a younger sister – because she once came by to borrow his car and made quite an impression on the kids. Clarke was, however, utterly unable to ask for his name in any way that sounded even remotely casual to her and while Clarke didn’t suspect a six-year-old girl to guess _why_ she was so interested in him, she did worry that Madi might mention the conversation to him and for reasons that were better left unexplored, Clarke found that to be unacceptably embarrassing.

And so, he’d been Mr. B. ever since and Clarke had spent at least one evening every three weeks drinking about it with her friends, who were shamelessly laughing at her.

“Have you thought about looking for him on the school web site?” Gaia suggested and Harper huffed a soft chuckled.

Oh, how they tried that already. With Monty and Jordan away, visiting Mrs. Green, Harper and Clarke had drained a bottle of red and went on a fact-finding mission – only to be bitterly disappointed halfway through the second bottle. Apparently, the school complex that Madi attended, that also included the high school where Mr. B. taught, was very strict about protecting the privacy of both the students and the faculty. Clarke had to log into the system but was only offered the list of primary school teachers and the official web site didn’t have any pictures showing anyone’s faces. Good for the kids bad for the amateur detectives.

Gaia nodded with sympathy when Clarke explained all that and offered her the bottle of tequila.

Yeah, maybe she should’ve said yes, when Raven offered to hack into the school network and find that name in three minutes.

***

October was passing by way too quickly. Before they knew it, they were already half-way though it and the weather seemed determined to never let them forget that the winter was coming soon. It was cold and wet outside, which meant that Clarke had to spend extra five more minutes every morning making sure that Madi didn’t leave her hat, gloves and scarf at home. Or dropped it on the staircase. Or shoved it down into her wellingtons, pretending she had no idea what Clarke was on about.

It all came to head one morning, when Clarke spent nearly half an hour trying to convince Madi to dress properly and they were running late. In the end, Clarke left without any make-up or having eaten anything herself and only put a couple of bananas and a juice box into Madi’s bag for second breakfast—and they still arrived at school at the last minute. Mr. B. was waiting for them but they only had the time for a quick hello before Madi ran inside and Clarke was walking back to her car.

And right there, on the ground on Madi’s side, was a tiny, bright-pink glove. Clarke grimaced and ducked to pick it up—and something unexpected happened.

She felt a mighty shove, a dull pain in her side and then, the cloudy sky above her was all she saw. It took a moment to process but then, Clarke heard a car door open and someone was screaming, asking if she was alright.

“I am so sorry! I swear, my husband tells me I need a car with one of those cameras and I always thought he was overreacting but I guess not!” There was a blonde woman hovering over her now, looking distressed and a shrill voice coming from the car speakers.

“ _BREE?! What happened?!_ ” the voice asked while to woman above her—Bree—bent over Clarke and started examining the car bumper for damage. Clarke rolled her eyes as Bree wondered why none of the sensors worked and Clarke only barely stopped herself from telling her that maybe if she were more focused on backing away and less on talking to her friend—who was _still_ calling out in a high-pitched voice, then maybe the sensors would’ve been enough.

Clarke put a hand over her eyes and took a deep breath. He ribs protested but it didn’t feel like anything was seriously wrong. Still, laying on the cold, wet ground had never seemed so comfortable—compared to the prospect of getting up.

“Shit!” Clarke heard the deep, disturbingly familiar voice from above her and reluctantly removed her hand from her face, only to be greeted by the beautiful, oh so beautiful face of Mr. B. He was crouching above her, so close to her that Clarke could smell his after shave and for a moment, she was seriously wondering if her head was spinning because of _that_ or the fucking car that hit her.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said with a small smile, visibly relieved that she was alive and awake. “You’re gonna be fine.” Clarke groaned and tried to get up but his large hands landed on her shoulders, keeping her on the ground.

“No, please, stay still,” he said, suddenly alarmed again.

Clarke grimaced. “Trust me, I’m in more danger of catching a cold than anything else,” she said and he finally realised that she was still on the wet ground. He helped her up into a sitting position but protested when she tried to stand. “Wait, the ambulance will be here in a moment.”

“Oh, come on,” Clarke argued. All she wanted was to get up and go to work, where she had dry clothes and a butt-load of doctors who could examine her. There was no need to bother the EMTs. But when she tried to tell Mr. B. any of that, all the words dried up in her throat because he’d been looking at her with so much care and concern that something warm settled itself deep in her belly.

“Do you know what day it is?” he asked suddenly and Clarke jerked her head in surprise. Which was a mistake.

“Don’t you?” Clarke shot back, an eyebrow cocked. She was more concerned with whether or not she had whiplash because that would be just _perfect_.

Mr. B. looked at her expectantly. “Well, do you know your name, then?” he asked, a little frantic. Clarke levelled him with a glare and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Right. Okay. Do you know mine?”

Clarke opened her mouth and closed it again. “I don’t, actually,” she admitted. “And what’s with all these questions?”

“I’m trying to see if you have a concussion,” he explained. Clarke’s eyebrows shot up and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Mr. B. huffed. “I teach history, okay? All I know about medicine comes from the medical dramas my sister watched when we were kids.”

He leaned closer into Clarke’s space. One of his hands rested on her knee, which she only belatedly noticed, distracted by his eyes while he looked at her intently. His other hand came up to her face and Clarke set motionlessly while he wiped some dirt away from her cheek, his warm hands brushing her skin ever so gently. She gulped when he moved away, missing the heat coming off of him. All she wanted to do was to wrap herself in his embrace but before she did something stupid, like follow through, the ambulance arrived and she leaned heavily against the car behind her.

She waved to Roan and Luna, the EMTs on shift and ignored the knowing smirk Roan was sending. She may or may not have mentioned her teeny, tiny crush to him, one night after they brought a patient in and they had to wait to fill in the paperwork.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Roan joked, crouching in front of her and starting his examination.

“Shut up,” Clarke grumbled, shoving him out of the way lightly, more than eager to finally get off the ground. Her butt was so cold and wet she couldn’t feel it anymore. Roan helped her up, still looking her up and down while Luna came over with some antiseptic wipes and bandages. Together, they took care of most of her scrapes and when Roan declared her ready to go and safe for travel, Clarke looked over to Mr. B., hoping he’ll notice the “I told you so” of her expression.

Only he was no longer at her side. He moved out of the way and watched her interactions with Roan with something unreadable in his eyes. The paramedics gathered their gear, telling Clarke to see a doctor when she comes in and with one last smirk, Roan drove away. Clarke walked over to Mr. B., limping slightly. He put his arms out, as if to catch her if needed, which made her stomach do a somersault. She leaned heavily against her car and sent him a half-smile.

“So, I guess you were right, you could’ve done without the ambulance,” he said, his hand still close to her body. Clarke had to consciously stop herself from pressing against him. “You seem to know the EMTs well.”

Clarke hummed in agreement. “I’m an ER nurse at Arkadia Memorial, we see each other often,” she explained and strangely, she felt him relax at her side. Mr. B. smiled at her, looking at her with concern again. If how she felt was any indication, there must already be some impressive bruises forming all over her body. Not to mention all the damaged that the fall had done to her already dishevelled looks. She dreaded the moment she’d have the chance to look at herself in the mirror.

In the corner of her eye, Clarke noticed that Bree was eyeing her suspiciously, and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not calling the cops,” Clarke called out and the woman deflated visibly. She hurried over with her insurance information and then jumped back into her car and drove away as soon as Clarke released her, nearly knocking off a side-mirror of the car next to her. Clarke shook her head and chuckled. _Another mistake_ , she thought, groaning.

“It’s Bellamy, by the way,” Mr. B. said. Clarke turned around to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“My name,” he continued. “Before, you said you didn’t know it. It’s Bellamy. Bellamy Blake,” he explained and Clarke could’ve sworn he was blushing, though his dark complexion hid it well.

Clarke smiled at him and they shook hands. It was only then that she noticed quite a crown had gathered around them and they only started to disperse when Principal Diyoza stormed down the stairs and rushed towards Clarke, demanding to know what happened. When Clarke explained everything and promised not to sue the school, the Principal finally relaxed and told everyone to get the hell out of there, all but dragging Mr. B.— _Bellamy_ —with her, reminding him he had classes to teach.

The parking lot was nearly empty by the time Clarke dug her keys out of her pocket, unlocked the car and climbed inside. She ignored the wet stains she was leaving all over the upholstery and sighed, trying to find the most comfortable position for driving.

When she started the engine and nearly blacked-out moving around to fasten her seatbelt, she couldn’t help but smile, despite the pain. _Bellamy Blake_ , she actually learnt his name. Still, it was a toss-up if it was worth getting hit by a car.

***

Clarke hated telling Madi about the incident but it’s not like she had another choice.

When Dr Santiago saw her after she came in to work, he dragged her for an examination and then told her in no uncertain terms to go home and not come back until she could raise her arms above her head without wincing. He explained that she was no use to them in that condition but Clarke smiled at him. She knew he knew it was the only way to convince her to take some time off, it was sweet that he cared.

Back at home, Clarke finally took off all her clothes and looked at herself, cataloguing all the injuries. There were no major threats but she still looked pitiful. She changed into something loose and laid down on the bed, only allowing herself to relax when Harper texted her that she’d pick Madi up from school and bring her home.

Madi froze, fear in her eyes, when she saw Clarke and then launched herself onto the bed, miraculously landing _next_ to Clarke, instead of on top of her. She cried a few tears while Clarke explained what happened but promised her she’d take care of Clarke now. And so, they slept in one bed until Clarke was ready to go back to work at the end of the week.

***

A couple of days after the accident, Clarke was doing laundry—and grunting all the way through it, when her phone rang. She dropped everything to pick it up, worried that it might be the school calling about Madi. But when she answered, the voice was of someone she didn’t expect.

“Hi, it’s uhm, Bellamy,” he said, sounding uncertain. “Blake. Madi’s teacher, I guess,” he rambled on, when Clarke didn’t say anything.

She shook herself and cleared her throat.

“Yes, of course,” she finally said, sitting down on the couch. She ran her hand through her hair, trying to tame it into something even remotely presentable, as if he could see her. “The _Grey’s Anatomy_ fan.”

Bellamy laughed into her ear, surprised, and Clarke felt herself blush. “I’ll have you know that we watched _E.R._ ,” he informed her with amusement. Clarke chuckled, settling back into her seat. The laundry would have to wait, she wasn’t getting up any time soon.

Bellamy went quiet on the other end and for a moment, Clarke worried. She didn’t know why he was calling—or how, even, and she wasn’t sure how to keep this conversation alive, though she desperately wanted to.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he finally said. “Your friend gave me your phone number this morning, said you were home, recuperating. I just wanted to ask how you were doing.”

A single butterfly flapped its wings deep inside Clarke’s stomach but before more could follow, she blinked and shook her head. It was Murphy who drove Madi to school today and she knew that Emori told him all about her little crush. Heavens knew what sort of things he told Bellamy to get him to call her. He was one of Clarke’s oldest friends but he could be a chaotic gremlin, when he saw an opportunity to mess with someone. Which meant that this was probably nothing more than a courtesy call, sweet as it was.

“I’m good, thank you. A little sore here and there but nothing serious. I even had an proper doctor check me for a concussion,” she joked. Even if he was just calling to be polite and nothing would come of it, Clarke couldn’t stop herself.

She heard Bellamy breathe in, like he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the sound of someone calling for him in the background. Bellamy swore under his breath, making her smile to herself.

“Sorry, I have to go,” he said. Clarke didn’t want to get her hopes up but he sounded almost regretful. “Can we talk later?”

“Sure!” she answered, ready to resign herself to the fact that she probably wouldn’t hear from him until she took Madi to school again.

Only fifteen minutes later, her phone rang again and Clarke smiled like a child on a Christmas morning when she saw who it was.

“So, you sure you saw a real doctor and not George Clooney?” Bellamy asked in lieu of a hello. Clarke closed her eyes, beyond glad that no-one was there to see her blush again.


	2. Chapter 2

Clarke had long decided that Madi’s 7th birthday would be a special occasion. It wouldn’t just be the first one since Clarke had adopted her but also the first one without her parents and Clarke was determined to make it a happy memory. Which was why the planning had started from the very beginning of March.

In the months following the unfortunate incident in the school parking lot, much had changed for both Clarke and Madi, and it all came to be because Bellamy had become a fixture in their lives.

It started slowly—with a few texts and phone calls here and there, and Clarke coming earlier to pick up Madi at the end of school day whenever she could. They’d stay behind a little longer each time, just so that she could talk to him a bit more until one time, somehow, they made plans to go out for coffee on the Saturday—and before Clarke knew, Bellamy became one of her closest friends and the reason of her constant crisis.

Unsurprisingly, Bellamy fit into her small group of friends like he’d always been a part of it. He had an attitude, wit and character that allowed him to go toe-to-toe with all of them and he shared something with everyone. Clarke worried, at first, how would her friends act around him, with them knowing how fond of Bellamy she was but they graciously decided to let her be and not say anything.

Well, either that or they were planning something spectacular, that Clarke preferred not to think about it, lest she start growing stress ulcers. But months after Bellamy started hanging out with them and she was still safe to pine away in silence—and pine she did because if she was able to develop a crush from the little contact she had with him at the beginning, then falling for him seemed almost inevitable, given all the time they were spending together.

Bellamy wasn’t just her friend, but possibly her best friend now. He was the one Clarke could see herself spending the rest of her life with, however scary and crazy that might sound after knowing him only for a few short months.

But how could she feel any other way, when he treated her like no-one else ever had before. He listened, he cared and even when they disagreed, he still made her feel loved and safe in a way she never expected to feel, not after all the heartbreak she endured in her life. And if that wasn’t enough, he was the kindest, most loving to Madi, who adored him right back and already treated him like he was family.

Looking back, there was no other way but to fall for Bellamy, Clarke reckoned. Which was a little unfortunate, since Clarke had no idea if there was even a chance of him ever feeling the same way about her. Sometimes, she believed he loved her, too. They’ve grown so close over the months that Clarke knew he cared but he’d never once made any move to show her that he wanted more.

And she was too scared of losing what they had to risk doing so herself.

***

In some way, Bellamy helping her organise Madi’s birthday surprise what the worst thing in the world. When Clarke remembered that his sister Octavia ran a horse ranch, she came up with an idea to organise a party there—the weather was supposed to be good enough that Madi and her friends could spend the whole day playing outside, learning how to ride and then light a fire and stay for a sleepover. Bellamy supported her plan wholeheartedly, which let them spend even more time together. And seeing how involved and engaged Bellamy was with the planning was not good for Clarke’s health. Especially seeing him in loose jeans and worn flannels, as he helped Clarke decorate Octavia’s house for the party and coordinate the party with the other kids’ parents.

“Am I crazy?” Clarke asked, sitting down in the armchair in the coffee shop near her place. They’d just come back from Octavia’s where they dropped off the mattresses and sleeping bags for the kids. Normally, Clarke would’ve just invited him over but she’d been so focused on the party ahead that she didn’t have time to buy the groceries yet—and she needed coffee.

Bellamy looked at her with an amused expression. “Possibly, but to avoid misunderstandings, I'm gonna need more details,” he said, sipping on his coffee. Clarke snorted into her mug.

“I mean about the party,” she explained, with her lips pursed and one eyebrow cocked. “I’m inviting a dozen 6-year-olds to an all-nighter on a huge ranch outside of town and I’m telling all of their parents to just trust me with their well-being.” She huffed. “Sometimes, I don’t trust myself with _me_.”

“That’s because you’re terrible at taking care of yourself,” Bellamy said pointing a finger at her, and chuckled when she tried to slap his hand off half-heartedly. Clarke sent him a weak glare and his gaze softened.

“It’s not crazy, it’s a beautiful idea. And you’re not doing it alone, we’re all gonna be there to help,” Bellamy reminded her. Clarke inhaled, feeling a little lighter. That was true, with all their friends coming—and a few of Octavia’s workers, there would be nearly as many adults as kids. Still, it was daunting. Clearly, Bellamy senses his hesitation. He put his hand over hers and squeezed gently, sending her a small smile.

Clarke tried not to melt and not to read too much into the gesture but it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore the small flame igniting deep inside her every time he touched her.

She hummed, smiling gratefully back at him.

She took a long gulp of her coffee and leaned back in her chair.

“How are your students?” she asked, looking at Bellamy. He raised his eyebrows and snorted.

“Still utterly uninterested in history,” he deadpanned, shaking his head.

Clarke rolled her eyes. "Come on, you must have something to tell me. Anything that would distract me from thinking about how 12 kids are gonna run away from me into the woods and we won’t ever see them ever again.”

Bellamy took a deep breath and went on to tell her about a mock debate he organised the week before. Clarke listened to him with a smile. He talked with his hands, telling her about the over-the-top arguments his students used and Clarke relaxed more and more the longer he talked.

“—and in case you’re wondering, I’ve still not been able to talk my way out of chaperoning the homecoming dance, thank you very much,” Bellamy finished with a grimace, grabbing his coffee mug. Clarke giggled to herself, watching as he only realised it was empty by the time it was halfway to his mouth. Bellamy sent her an unimpressed look.

“You’ll live,” she said, not even trying to sound very reassuring. Bellamy jabbed her with his elbow and stayed that close to her side for a moment, the warmth of his body drawing Clarke in. She allowed herself a few deep breaths, taking in the scent that was so distinctly _Bellamy_ , before she leaned away and feigned reaching for her own, also empty, cup.

Clarke cleared her throat and rubbed her hands over her thighs. “Want me to get you something else?” she asked getting up, her thumb pointing towards the counter. But Bellamy wasn’t looking at her, he had his phone out and was reading something on it with a hint of a smile. “Bellamy?”

He looked up when he heard his name, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. He noticed her gesture and his gaze cleared. “Oh, sure, I’ll take one more cup.” He shook his head at her. “Sorry about that, it’s just Echo.”

Clarke stiffened momentarily at the mention of his new colleague. Echo came in a few weeks before as a replacement coach for the girls athletics team and she seemed to have struck up a rapport with Bellamy. He appeared utterly oblivious to her attempts to get even closer to him, claiming that she only texted him so much because she was still struggling to learn the computer system the school was using for tracking grades and attendance, and for the life of her, Clarke couldn’t figure out if he really believed that of if he was just trying to downplay the budding relationship.

Not that Clarke was thinking about it all that much, of course not. He was free to do whatever he wanted and with whomever he wanted, and if that meant Echo, Clarke was absolutely fine with it. Totally.

Still, the woman did seem to have a sixth sense for knowing when Bellamy was with Clarke and choosing that specific moment to message him—and only in her more daring thoughts was Clarke able to cheer herself up with the thought that maybe it was just because they were spending so much time together.

Bellamy’s phone buzzed with another incoming message and Clarke backed away from the table and practically fled towards the counter, where she spent and long as she possibly could placing their order. Even after spending the whole morning and noon with Bellamy, this was one of her weaker moments and she wasn’t all that eager to go back to watching him smile at another woman’s texts.

***

On the day of the party, Madi was all but ready to jump out of her skin with excitement. Clarke was able to keep their plans a secret, so that neither Madi, nor the rest of the kids knew exactly how would the party look like – which meant that the closer they got, the more excited the girl became.

And on that Saturday, which luckily enough was Madi’s actual birthday, she woke up as soon as the sun came up and ran to Clarke’s bedroom, jumping into her bed, screaming into her ear.

Clarke smothered the girl with her pillow, hooking her arm around Madi’s waist and hauled her into a tight hug. She blew a raspberry into Madi’s shoulder, making the girl laugh to tears, especially when Clarke started tickling her. When they both settled down after a moment, happy tears still wet on their cheeks, Clarke held Madi tightly and brushed the hair away from her face.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Clarke said with a smile. Madi grinned toothily.

“What are we doing today?” she asked, nodding enthusiastically.

Clarke shook her head. “Not yet, sweetie, it’s a surprise.”

Madi pouted but she wasn’t able to keep it up for long. Finally, she jumped up and stood on the bed, bending down to grab Clarke’s hand, urging her to get up. Clarke tugged on her hand gently and Madi toppled over, landing on top of Clarke.

“Can we please go back to sleep?” Clarke tried. “The party won’t start for hours.”

But Madi was relentless. She scrambled out of bed, dragging Clarke behind her. Clarke groaned and complained but followed her to the kitchen, to prepare breakfast for the both of them.

Clarke was on her second cup of coffee when the doorbell rang and Madi ran to the door, squealing. Clarke stayed behind, knowing who it was—and sure enough, within moments, Madi was leading Bellamy in by the hand and telling him to sit down. She climbed onto the chair next to him and looked at him expectantly. Bellamy looked between her and Clarke, and sighed in resignation. Madi was practically vibrating when he put down a box from Murphy’s bakery and opened it to present her with her favourite chocolate cupcake with sprinkles. Madi let out an indescribable sound and Clarke had to cover her mouth with her hand to hide a chuckle. Bellamy pulled out a candle from his pocket and stuck it in the frosting, lighting it for her.

“Can I make a wish already?” Madi asked, looking at Clarke. She asked her to wait while she went to pick up her phone and when she came back, Bellamy and Madi where talking in hushed her voices, but stopped immediately when they noticed she was back. It gave Clarke a second of pause but the candle was burning away, so she pulled up the camera on her phone and gave Madi a go-ahead.

Madi thought for a while, looking at both Clarke and Bellamy, tapping her chin. Clarke had to make an effort not too laugh and shake the camera. Finally, Madi blew out the candle, took in out and devoured the cupcake, smudging chocolate all over her face. Without thinking, Bellamy grabbed a paper towel, wetted it and put his hand on the top of Madi head to hold her in place and clean her face. Clarke smiled, remembering how he told her about growing up with his rowdy sister who would get into trouble at all times and come back home covered in dirt from head to toe. It seemed some instincts never went away but seeing him taking care of her daughter like that, it tugged at her heart.

Bellamy stayed for a little while longer, listening as Madi told him about each one of her friends that they invited to the party. Clarke filed in and out of the living room, going about some of the chores and every once in a while, she’d catch them whispering together. She sent Bellamy a questioning look but he just smiled back at her and Clarke figured that Madi was trying to convince him to spill the beans about the party. So, she just smiled at them and went on with the day.

***

“How about this one?” Clarke asked with hope in her voice, showing Madi a flowery blouse and a black pleated skirt. For reasons that she couldn’t quite comprehend, they’d been picking out and outfit for _Clarke_ for nearly an hour now. She expected Madi to be struggling with dressing herself, but the girl pulled out a surprisingly fitting and weather-appropriate set at the first try and then insisted to help Clarke with choosing her clothes. Only, she could not agree with a single choice that Clarke had made.

Madi vetoed all the trousers, sweaters, jumpsuits and was now in the process of saying no to the skirts and dresses. She shook her head at Clarke’s pick, blowing a raspberry.

“Baby girl, all I have left now are sundresses and bathing suits, we’re running out of options,” Clarke informed her, putting the skirt and the blouse away. Madi sent her a look, scrambled off the bed and marched toward Clarke’s walk-in closet. After a few moments, she pulled a fit-and-flare knee-length dress off the hanger and dragged it towards Clarke with a smile. Granted, it was one of her favourites—a floral sleeveless number made from loose and soft material.

“Madi, it’s the middle of March,” Clarke protested but her daughter wasn’t done yet. Without a word, she went back to the closet and came back with a denim jacket and one of her heeled leather knee-high boots. Clarke huffed. She almost forgot she even had them still, it’s been a while since she’d had the chance to wear them—they were more of a date-night thing.

“Here,” Madi said, dropping the boot and handing Clarke the jacket. Admittedly, it wasn’t a bad outfit. Maybe not ideal for a day at the ranch but the weather was supposed to be beautiful, so why the hell not. Madi noticed the acquiescence on Clarke’s face and grinned widely. Clarke cocked and eyebrow and chuckled.

There was something slightly suspicious in the amount of attention that Madi was paying to the way Clarke was supposed to look that day and for a second, she wondered if maybe she should investigate further. Especially since Madi also insisted that Clarke should keep her hair loose and lightly curled, not in the more practical pony tail that Clarke was planning. But eh, it was her birthday and since she didn’t insist on dressing Clarke in the cocktail dress she wore to her mother’s wedding a couple of years ago or one of her old Halloween costumes, the attention seemed harmless enough. Hopefully.

When Madi skipped out of her bedroom and back to hers to get ready, she was humming some cheerful melody, flailing her arms around and as Clarke walked into her closet to look for the other boot and some thicker tights to wear under the dress, she figured if it put that smile on Madi’s face, she’d happily wear her salt to Raven’s pepper costume she somehow still had since college.

***

There was only so long that Clarke was able to keep their destination a secret. Once they left the city limits, and thus all of Madi’s favourite places behind, there were only so many options left and barely a few miles outside of Arkadia, Madi realised they were heading towards Octavia’s ranch—and by the time they arrived there, Madi was all red with excitement.

As always, she was out of her seat and opening the car door almost as soon and Clarke had parked the car and as always, Bellamy was there to make sure she wouldn’t fall to the ground. The girl practically jumped into his arms, laughing when she saw that he was wearing a party hat on his head.

Clarke got out of the car and gave him a small wave, very glad that he was preoccupied with carrying Madi to where the rest of the guests were already waiting for them. It gave her the chance to stare at him for a while without him noticing. And goodness grief, she needed that moment. He was wearing dark fitted jeans and a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows—and the way that the material stretched over his shoulders and he carried Madi, made Clarke’s mouth run dry.

She seriously needed to get her shit together before she did something stupid. But hopefully, she’d be too distracted to worry about that too much today, because when they rounded up a corner, nearly two dozen people jumped up, screaming a happy birthday to Madi.

The girl squealed and ran to hug her friends the second that Bellamy put her down. Clarke had caught up with him then and they stood side by side, watching the kids run around and shout at each other. When Clarke looked at him, he was smiling the most gentle of smiles and she had to look away. Once again, it nearly knocked her of her feet, how much Bellamy cared for Madi. Not that it surprised her much, considering that he actually knew her longer than Clarke did, but still, it was more than enough to make Clarke fall for him all over again.

Soon after, Octavia and a few of her workers brought out the horses, almost sending the kids into a frenzy. Madi, as the guest of honour, had been offered a first ride and since then, it's been nearly impossible to convince her to come down. Finally, Clarke was able to bribe her off the animal with the promise of presents and Murphy's special birthday cake. And that thing was a sight to behold—it was an actual princess castle, with three tiers, windows and balconies made of fondant and icing, and even a small Princess Madi waving from one of the windows. Murphy looked awfully proud of his creation but even prouder still, when the kids ripped into the cake and practically inhaled it.

Clarke smiled at him, seeing him watch the kids with a wistful smile. He and Emori had been trying for a while now, unsuccessfully, and Clarke knew it's been hard on them, not being able to get pregnant. And now that they finally decided to adopt, the waiting was even more nerve-wracking. And if Clarke was stressing about it, she couldn't even imagine what Murphy and Emori were going through. But seeing them with the kids, she just knew they'd get their child, sooner or later. They'd be such wonderful parents and it would be comically unfair and foolish for them not to get that chance.

A couple of hours later, Octavia brought out another surprise—three large horse-drawn carriages. When all the kids were finally seated and the adults joined them to watch after them, they went off on a long ride through the woods. Somehow, Clarke ended up riding only with Bellamy, Madi, Jordan and another girl from Madi's class, Delilah. The three kids sat on one side and spent the whole ride talking over each other, pointing out all the things they were riding past. Meanwhile, Clarke was squished against Bellamy's side, hoping that he wouldn't notice that the bench wasn't so narrow that she couldn't have moved away if she wanted to. Instead, she pressed herself against his side and practically cuddled into him, when Bellamy stretched his arm over the backrest of the bench. She allowed herself this one indulgence, taking a deep breath, suddenly very aware of his scent, the heady smell of his cologne and the warmth she could feel even though her jacket.

And if she really focused, maybe she would've also noticed how every once in a while, he and Madi locked eyes in a knowing glance.

They were gone for almost an hour and when they came back, it was already dark outside and Octavia's boyfriend Levitt had gotten a bonfire going. As the kids settled down around the fire, Monty and Jasper started telling them all kinds of fantastical, though still age-appropriate stories. Clarke had never expected this when she came back to Arkadia after college and bumped into her old high school classmates. She never thought that they'd rekindle their friendship so quickly and so easily, or that they'd all grow into a family—but as she watched her two friends run around the fire, staging the mood for their next story, she couldn't have been happier that they did.

***

Around 9 pm, the kids started dropping off like flies. Madi held out the longest, not wanting to miss anything that might still lay ahead but eventually, even she climbed into Clarke’s lap, curled into her neck and dozed off.

After Clarke carried her to the house and helped her settled down for the night, she went back outside. A cold breeze flew by her, sending a chill down her whole body. Clarke wrapped herself tighter into her jacket and walked to the bonfire, slowly dying down now that the kids were gone. She sat back down next to Bellamy and this time, she didn’t even bothered hiding the fact that she snuggled into his side, searching for body heat. He chuckled when he noticed that she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

Clarke felt the palm of his hand splayed over the small of her back, nearly covering the entire lower part. She looked up at him and saw that Bellamy was smiling down at her, those delightful tiny wrinkles around his eyes showing.

“How tired are you?” he asked in hushed voice. Clarke smiled lazily.

“Not so much that I’d need to be carried inside but I wouldn’t say no to a warm bed sometime soon.”

Bellamy lowered his head, so that his lips were almost touching her forehead.

“You think you can handle one more attraction?” His voice was barely above a whisper but he was so close that Clarke still heard him, over the crackling of the fire and the noise of the rest of their friends talking. His breath warmed her skin and for a split second before he pulled away, his lips brushed her brow. Clarke sat up, confused.

Still, she nodded in agreement and when Bellamy got up, she followed him. She shot a glance back at their company and realised that for some reason, they all went quiet and just watched them, smiling. She wanted to ask what was going on, but Bellamy was already leading her away, his hand on her waist.

They didn’t walk far, only to one of the empty stables. Still confused, Clarke looked around and noticed that the path there was lined with solar lanterns, leading them towards their goal. Inside, there were even more of the lanterns, illuminating the space inside just enough that they could see where they were going. Clarke followed Bellamy towards a ladder, leading to the upper level. She climbed upstairs, hearing that Bellamy was right behind her and when she finally reached the loft and stood up, her breath was taken away by the sight.

There were fairy lights strewn all over the roof beams, rich dark-red curtains covered the unglazed windows—and in the middle, there was a dining table, set for a dinner for two, and a couple of chairs.

“What is this?” Clarke asked, huffing.

“It’s your birthday surprise,” Bellamy explained, coming up behind her. Clarke turned around, shaking her head. She didn’t quite understand.

“My—my birthday was a month ago.”

Bellamy smiled. He raised his hand and brushed away a strand of hair away from her face. Clarke’s eyelids fluttered when his finger touched her skin.

“It was,” he agreed. “But back then, you were working around the clock and Madi had just recovered from a cold, so all you did was buy a muffin, grab a glass of wine and promised yourself that you’d find the time to celebrate. It was the big one, wasn’t it?”

Bellamy mouth curled into a teasing smile, making Clarke groan playfully. “Don’t remind me.”

They both chuckled but Clarke still wasn’t sure what to say. She looked around instead, taking in the heated food containers and the cake stand, upon which sat a cherry pie, the kind that Murphy only ever baked after she wore him down with begging and complaining. It only now hit her that there was no way that Bellamy could’ve done it all by himself—and not just because Clarke had barely left his side since they arrived here.

As if reading her mind, Bellamy nodded his head in confirmation. “We all had a hand in preparing this. You’ve been running yourself ragged with organising this party for Madi and we thought that you deserved something like that, too.” He smiled. “Only quieter, maybe.”

Clarke blinked, her sight was getting blurred by the tears coming to her eyes. She let out a watery laugh and looked up at Bellamy. He was looking at her with so much affection and tenderness, that she couldn’t take it anymore. She surged towards him and pressed her lips against his, throwing her arms around his neck.

Only after a moment, she realised he wasn’t really kissing her back.

She withdrew, looking at the space between their feet, feeling her face grow hot in embarrassment. “ _Shit_ ,” she muttered under hear breath and tried to remove herself from his space but before she could, Bellamy took her hand and gently pulled her, prompting her to look at him.

There was only so long that she could see into his eyes when he looked at her like that—when his face was so open and his gaze full of what she only very rarely dared to call love. Clarke looked away again but Bellamy stopped her with a hand on her cheek.

“Hey,” he breathed out. His thumb rubbed at the skin her cheekbone and Clarke had to swallow. She steadfastly ignored that she could still taste the chocolate from the piece of birthday cake Bellamy had eaten a little while before. “You just took me by surprise.”

Clarke’s eyes snapped up at him, eyebrows shooting up at his explanation. Bellamy huffed a small chuckled and Clarke noticed that he looked bashful. His hand travelled away from her face and he rubbed the back of his neck.

He sent her a weak smile. “Before your birthday, I asked everyone what kind of a present I should get you and Murphy immediately said ‘ _a date_ ’.”

Clarke eyes bugged out and seeing that, Bellamy grinned at her. He took her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers.

“But you see, you didn’t even have the time to go out and get a birthday drink, I didn’t want to bother you with my feelings, when I didn't even know if you felt the same way.”

Clarke looked him in the eyes and she almost missed what he said. Her jaw dropped a little and she wanted to say something, tell him exactly how she felt, but she was at a loss for words. Luckily, Bellamy must’ve seen something in her face that answered all his questions because he dipped his head, his nose brushing against Clarke’s cheek. He nudged her up, both his hands reaching her neck, tilting her head upwards.

She felt his warm breath fan over her face when he whispered her name. She closed her eyes and the next thing she knew, Bellamy was kissing her with all he had. Clarke hands, still trapped between them, clenched on the material of his shirt, her fingers grazing against his stomach. When Clarke felt the muscles clench, she pulled him even closer and sighed into his mouth.

When they pulled away from each other, Clarke noticed that she rose onto her tippy toes in order to be closer to him. She lowered herself back onto her heels and took the tiniest step backwards, just to see him better. Her fingers were still clutching tightly onto his shirt and she never wanted to let go.

Bellamy cleared his throat and that chased a bit of the fog out of her brain. Clarke took a deep breath.

“Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?” she asked, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer. “I have a 7-year-old kid, there’s a lot of raising still left to do.”

Bellamy licked his lips and smiled. He took one of his hands from her neck and ran it down her arm, his fingers hooking into the cuff of her jacket. “You look really beautiful today,” he said, a little too casual for it to sound natural. Clarke cocked an eyebrow. “It’s almost as if someone knew there was a special occasion that you needed to dress up for.”

Clarke stared at him, mouth agape. “Is _that_ what you two were conspiring about this morning?!”

Bellamy just shrugged. “She wants you to be happy,” he said, as if that explained anything. But Clarke gave in. She breathed out and dropped her head, so that her forehead landed against Bellamy’s firm chest. She hummed and Bellamy put his hand on her back, underneath her jacket, rubbing a small patterns that were surprisingly calming.

After a few beats, Clarke looked up at him and saw his easy, happy smile that melted all her insides.

“Come on,” Bellamy encouraged, untangling her hand from where they were still holding onto his shirt. He didn’t let go of her then, just pulled her with him and led her to the table. Clarke sat down in her seat and while he poured each of them a glass of wine, she allowed herself to look him up and down.

Bellamy handed her one of the glasses with a smile that she reciprocated without a thought. And she didn’t stop smiling throughout the whole dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked this! thank you so very much for reading. comments and kudos will be welcomed like manna ;-)  
> come and find me on tumblr @[carrieeve](https://carrieeve.tumblr.com).


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